The park was officially named Ken Mansbridge Park in 1994 by the then mayor of the Gold Coast, Lex Bell.

Ken was honoured for his work as a life saver.

He was actually a club member of Palm Beach but because he ran the Mermaid Picture Theatre on the Gold Coast Highway, he was regularly required to rescue swimmers who got into trouble.

One of Ken's sons, Donald Mansbridge says in the 1960's there was a drowning along Mermaid Beach.

"Although there were many people close by including Ken Mansbridge working at the cinema during the day who could have saved the person who drowned, no one was able to raise the alarm," he said.

"So, Ken instigated the installation of big cast metal foolproof bells, like church bells, at Nobbys and Mermaid Beaches in the sixties."

Clear as a bell

Ken's sister, Beverley Dank, recalls the bell was very loud.

"Yes it was a big ship's bell and you could hear it all over Mermaid Beach," she said.

Donald says to raise money for the installation, Ken set up a bell on a stand in the foyer of the Mermaid cinema.

"It was right beside the black and white TV where moviegoers would watch the 7pm ABC News while waiting for the 7:30 movie to start," he said.

"In return for a donation, people could hit the bell with a sledge hammer.

"So, right at the climax of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller, someone would sneak out the front, pay their sixpence, grab the sledgehammer and give the bell a huge bang and frighten the hell out of all the patrons."

It is said the bell was used to raise the alarm for a rescue just days after its installation.

The Mansbridge family believes the original bell was washed away.

However life-member of Mermaid Beach Surf Life Saving Club John Wilson says the original was in storage but is now on display in front of the club.